In her private LP recording titled "Dedication to her guru, Veena Dhanammal", Savithri Rajan (1908-91) pays tribute Veena Dhanammal (1867-1937). As a child she was tutored by the legendary singer and composer known as "Tiger" Varadachariar (1876-1950, a disciple of Pattanam Subrahmanya Ayyar). 

* Label info: "Specially manufactured by The Gramophone Company of India Limited on behalf of Smt. Savithri Rajan. 2XJT. 1661. Classical-veena recital. 33PIX.1040. Dedication to her Guru VEENA DHANAMMAL."

By musicologist T. Sankaran (1906-2001, grandson of Veena Dhanammal)

VEENA DHANAMMAL (1867 to 1937) was a stalwart of her era, a virtuoso. Indeed, she established a style of veena playing, a class by itself, with an inimitable stamp of her own. Her Sampradaya, or tradition, has an abiding place of honour, status and dignity in Carnatic Music. This is upheld by the National and International recognition offered to her grand daughters and grandsons. Her nimble fingers caressed the strings and invoked the most melodious music. The meettu (plucking) was with the fleshy fore-finger, untrammelled by plectrums or the deafening metallic clang of side strings, under cover of rhythm, It was packed with melody, subtle in expression, poignant in depth and absolute in purity.

VEENA is a" Sampoorna Vadya" offering in pristine purity a complete integrated musical expression with sruthi and laya. Dhanammal's renderings adhered to this tradition by playing solo, never accepting any accompaniment in her concerts. The little finger had the responsibility of keeping the sruthi and the thala, perfect and precise. As Dhanammal could not grow a nail on her little finger, only on that finger she ever wore a gold plectrum. Even this was against her grain as she considered the Veena such a perfect instrument, symbolic of Goddess Saraswathi herself that it demanded unaided human touch.

SAVITHRI RAJAN had the rare privilege of being the direct disciple of this great maestro. She has procrastinated nearly half a century to take courage into her hands to resuscitate the tradition of her guru and resurrect the repertoire going out of currency. Savithri Rajan would come out of her shell for no other reason than that of paying homage to her teacher with a memorial disc of songs learnt from her. The recording is dedicated to regain the lost dhanam (treasure) and for personal and private edification of rasikas and performers.

THE OPENING VARNAM in Begada gives a nostalgic echo and the kriti "Sri Raghuvara Sugunalaya" in Bhairavi conjures up memories by its softness, both in the perfect style of Dhanammal. Dhanammal has recorded these two pieces and some others with the Columbia Gramaphone Company in 9 discs in 1936. Alas, they are no longer available even in archives. Savithri Rajan would be happy if it could be re-issued, by special effort, as a long playing disc.